Goodwood Festival of Speed
GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED
IT WAS JUNE, 1973, WHEN the Earl of March & Kin rara hosted his inaugural Festival of Speed, effectively a two-day asphalt hillclimb for 150 historic-and some significant contemporary-race cars and motorcycles. The machines were timed, one by one, up the sinuous, 2000-yard drive to Goodwood House, the beautiful family home located 60 miles south of London.
Today, the event is Europe’s premier retro-meet. The competitors are grayer and plumper, of course, but they’re still enthusiastic about squeezing into original racewear and rushing up the hill, frequently in or astride their old machinery.
Automotive giants like their corporate milestones to coincide with Goodwood. This year, Auto-Union (a.k.a. Audi, DKW and NSU) shared a clutch of anniversaries with Honda. The latter arrived with a cluster of four-, fiveand sixcylinder RC series racebikes, and three V-12 RA Formula One cars. Identically garbed technicians performed the starting rituals, which at the appropriate moment resulted in the firing of a 500cc Four for Jim Redman, the ex-Mike Hailwood 297cc Six for Ralph Bryans and a 125cc Five for Luigi Taveri. Every motorhead within earshot reeled at the spectacle.
Due to a first-year fatality, motorcycles are limited to “demonstration” runs. Riding a privately owned, ex-Redman Honda 350cc Four, Stuart Graham was quickest at a smidgen over a minute. (The best time recorded over the gently rising blacktop is 45 seconds, set by an F-l Mercedes McLaren.) Observing and hearing the galaxy of erstwhile Grand Prix winners hurriedly cogging down for Pheasantry Curve brought lumps to many observers’ throats. Scuffed leathers astride irreplaceable icons...glorious.
-Michael Jackson
